


Lean On Me: part one

by Katthekitkat



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Animal Death, Blood and Violence, Charles/Arthur if you squint, Dead People, Graphic Description, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, No one likes Micah, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katthekitkat/pseuds/Katthekitkat
Summary: Kind of a fix it fic, but not really. I just really don't like Micah and me and a friend where talking and that's how I got the idea to write this. This takes place sometime during chapter four. Micah gets a new 'lead' on a stagecoach moving past Roads and convinces Dutch it's a good one. So Arthur and Charles are sent out to help. Soon after arrival, everything goes wrong.More info in notes!
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Lean On Me: part one

**Author's Note:**

> This was born after a conversation with a friend of mine. We both really don't Micah and I just had to do it. That being said, here are some warnings!  
> There is descriptions of violence involving guns. There is animal death (I didn't go into much detail). A character die's. There is descriptions of blood.
> 
> This is my first time writing an RDR2 fic, so I apologize for getting things/characters wrong. I am foremost an artist, so writing is not my strongest skill. If you like this, please let me know with a like or a comment! I hope to get a part two up soon! 
> 
> My socials are:   
> Tumblr: https://katthekitkatlord.tumblr.com/  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/BexelyK

Lean On Me

“Arthur, I don’t know about this. Something just isn’t sitting right.” Concern heavy in Charles' voice, Arthur can do little but sigh through tight lips.

“I know. I been havin a funny feeling about this since the start.” Arthur nudges his heel into the side of his horse, coaxing the beast to speed up. “Can’t back out now.”

Not much else is shared between the two men as they ride under the heavy blanket of night. Clouds filled with rain blackening out the stars. The men had nothing but their gut feeling to lead them along. Unable to move during the day, the men had no choice. Not only that, but they weren't given much of one.

-

Earlier that morning, before the dew could dry, Micah had rode into camp like a demon hot on his heels and fire burning his back. The crazed man ‘whooped’ and ‘hollered’, waking everyone with a startling fright. Bill would be one of the first to sling a rock at the crazed man, followed by the sharp growl of John who only wanted a moment of silence with his coffee after a long morning shift on guard. 

“My dear friends I have come across one hell of a haul!” Micah boasts as he waves a hand in the air to gather even more attention. “I swear it’s a big one yet!”

Dutch is stomping out the worn out house with a hand on his holster, followed by Arthur and Hosea. “It better be or I swear-”

“You swear nothing. I promise this is a good one.” Micah rushes to stand before Dutch. “I got word about a stagecoach passing North of Roads. I heard it’s full of raw gold being moved for processing.”

“He’s speaking out his ass.” Arthur bites out as he decides he's heard enough. “You are a fool Micah.”

“Damn you Arthur I tell the truth. My source is true and reliable.” The man points at Arthur through gritted teeth. “Dutch, please, hear me out.” 

-

Somehow Micah convinced Dutch of his foolish plan and now Arthur and Charles must ride out together and meet Micah at their scheduled destination. 

“He got one thing right, this is a tight path.” Arthur comments as he and Charles closes in, deciding to ditch their horse well off in the tree and walk the rest by foot.

Charles looks around gripping his gun. “Can help give us the advantage. It will force the coach and whoever might be guarding it to thin out. Give us a chance to get in and out quickly.” 

“That's the right idea!” Micah greats the two as he pokes out of his hiding spot, effectively squashing any sense of calm the two men had. “Now come on. Get in position. You two took your sweet time getting here.”

“The less time I am forced to be around you.” Arthur barks as he settles behind a tree and silently waves for Charles to get across the road and hide.

“You need to get over this hate for me you harbor so closely.” Micah hisses under his breath. “I might just be your saving grace one day.”

“I’ll take my chances.” 

“Hush now, here they come.” Charles calls.

Guns in hand, masks pulled up, the three men prepared themselves for the inevitable shoot out about to happen, the wagon already creaking into sight, narrow path effectively narrowing out the convoy. Two riders sit high on the coach, manning the reins. A single rider rides ahead, and an unknown number trails behind. So far things seem simple like Micah had said they will be, but what happens next will put that to the test. 

Micah flies out from behind his tree with guns held high. Before Arthur could finish turning his head, Micah had already blown the legs out from under two of the great shire’s pulling the stagecoach. With no time to properly absorb what had just happened Arthur throws up his gun and all at once a rain of bullets, blood, and death graces the narrow road. 

Arthur dives in and out of the trees, taking aim when he can and taking cover when he can’t. “This feels like a trap, a set up!” Arthur yells just before a bullet blows the bark off the tree above his head. Ducking low he runs in hopes of getting a better angle.

Arthur fires round after round and all he can do is hope that Charles is alive after all is said and done. He can’t help but fear he had signed Charles away to his death by making him take cover on the other side of the road. If anyone deserved to stand alone, that was Micah. He can’t see Charles through the mass of men, screaming horses, and the coach. Hope was all he could do as he fought to save his own skin. 

“Micah! Damn you, you son of a bitch!” Arthur yells as he puts a bullet through a man’s eye. “You set us up! You were set up!” Arthur was more than furious as a new breed of anger rushed through his veins. 

“Hush up Arthur!” Micah yells in a half laugh as he puts a man down. It was frightening how much Micah seemed to enjoy what he was doing. Killing like it was some kind of game. 

Eventually the rain of terror will come to end as the last few men attempt to ride away. Micah shoots after the riders, yelling all kinds of obscenities and threats. He only stops after Arthur hits the gun out of his hand and lands a solid fist to hit his jaw. 

“Arthur!” 

Arthur looks away from Micah, leaving him to roll in the dirt as he sees Charles running up with the horses and calling his name, Arthur, we need to leave.”

“Charles!” Arthur was more than relieved when he sees his friend alive. But the feeling won't last as a deep shade of fear twists Charles' face and the larger man barrels towards him like a cannonball. Before Arthur knew it, a shot was fired and he and Charles were in the dirt. Everything around them happened so fast it was like being swept up in a tornado. Arthur desperately reached to ground himself as the ringing in his ears disoriented him. Attempting to hold onto Charles who apparently was not done. Charles leaps off of Arthur without a growl as he hits Micah full bodied like a train, tackling him to the ground and fighting to disarm him.

“Get off me you bastard!” Micah screams and kicks at Charles as he succeeds in wrestling Micah's gun out of his hand and tosses it away. 

Arthur is confused until suddenly the tornado lets him go and reality sets in like a lead weight dropped in a river. 

“You tried to shoot me!” Arthur roars.

“You’re a fool. I know better.” Micah kicks Charles off and rolls out the way.

“Arthur.” Charles is ready to jump on Micah again, but he pauses. Raising a hand he points just past Arthur, making him turn around.

Arthur turns and like a blow to the gut doubles over to see his horse gulping down his last breaths, blood trickling down his face like a slow stream. 

“Call it collateral for embarrassing me!” Micah screams and kicks rocks towards Arthur. 

“You’d shot him if it wasn't for me! Tell the truth you pathetic man!” Charles stomps at Micah, making the man flinch. 

Micah is cut short before he can utter a single word. Arthur hits him in center mass and together they fall into the blood soaked ground. The dead as silent witnesses, Arthur is unable to stop himself as he beats Micah. Teeth bared, eyes wild, Arthur lays into him like a feral beast, unleashing all his buried hate. Micah fights back, trying to shove his bloodied hands in Arthur's face, kicking and wailing blindly. 

“Dutch..” Micah croaks and Arthur freezes for a second at the sound of their leader's name being uttered, a second Micah capitalizes on. With the last of his quickness, Micah shoves a knife into Arthur above his hip.

Pain searing red hot, Arthur kicks away from Micah and clutches at his side.

“Arthur!” Charles rushes to help Arthur. He hadn’t seen Micah pull the blade, all too happy to watch Arthur beat the man to death. But now? Now he’s had enough.

“Kill him.” Arthur orders, red clouding his sight and that is all Charles needed to hear.

“Charles, please, no.” Micah begs. “Mercy, mercy!” He kicks at the ground, rolling to his belly and trying to drag himself away. “You wouldn’t kill a man without a chance.” He tries to reason but silent like a promis, Charles does not relent. 

Gipping Micahs heels, Charles drags Micah back to the pool of blood he’s caused and with a solid kick, kicks Micah to his back. Making sure Arthur has a clear view he sets upon Micah like he's never set upon a man before. 

Arthur watches as Charles beats Micah to death. Hand gripping his throat like a vice, Charles lands blow after blow, crushing Micahs face and turning it into a bloody soup. Micah tries to fight back. He claws at Charles' hand around his throat, pushes at his arm, kicks his legs. In the end it will all be futile. Between the crushing blows of Charles fist, the previous beating from Arthur, and now the blood pooling in the back of his throat, Micah dies with one last gurgle for mercy. 

“Come on Arthur. Law is bound to be on their way.” Charles speaks after his last blow. His voice is heavy and tired like the rest of his body, but that doesn’t stop him from helping Arthur up and giving him a shoulder to lean on. 

Looking at the bloody mess that was left of Micah Arthur sighs gripping his side, “We can’t go back. Not yet. We need-”   
  


“Don’t worry. I know a place we can go for a few days and hide out.” Charles soothes. “Now, lets get what we can get and let's go.” 

-

The ride was long but nowhere as bitter as Arthur had thought. Pressed to Charles solid back, and despite the burning wound in his side, Arthur found peace. He was still saddened to have lost his horse, but it wouldn't be the first time or the last. He had to just let him go and move past it. Now was the time for healing and starting over. 


End file.
